Educational Psychology

What is Educational Psychology?

Nerdy definition: "The
application of psychology and psychological methods to the study of
development, learning, motivation, instruction, assessment, and related
issues that influence the interaction of teaching and learning."
(Elliott, et.al., 2000)

Plain English definition: "Trying to figure out how people learn so we can teach them more effectively."

The philosopher William James said that a knowledge of ed psych is important for three reasons: “first,
to provide the underpinnings for beliefs about instruction; second,
to prohibit teachers from making certain egregious errors; and third,
to provide intellectual support to teachers for some of their pedagogical
decisions” (Berliner, 1993). In other words, the study of educational
psychology gives us a foundation to help make better decisions about how we teach.